Refrigerating package for shipping and preserving butter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0. P. JOHNSON.

RBFRIGBRATING PACKAGE FOR SHIPPING AND PRESERVING BUTTER,

OYSTBRS, aw.

y [H Uh n INVENTQR .--mm j M r (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. P. JOHNSON.

RBFRIGERATING PACKAGE FOR SHIPPING AND PRBSERVING BUTTER,

OYSTBRS, aw.

ljnirnn lSimfree Arnivr Ottica..

OLIVER I). JOHNSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

REFRIGERATING PACKAGE FOR SHIPPING AND PRESERVING BUTTER, OYSTERS, dc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,476, dated .Tune17,1884.

Application filed Augnst23,183. (No model.)

. To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, OLIvER l. Jonsson, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Fashington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Packages for Shipping andFreservin g Butter, Oysters, cc.; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to packages for shipping and preservingbutter,oysters, ish, game, and all perishable commodities; and itsobject is to provide a package of this class possessing superioradvantages in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness, durability, andgeneral efficlency.

My invention relates especially to that class of shipping and preservingpackages that comprise in their construction a compartment for ice,mechanism for conducting the drip of the saine from the package, andmechanism for securely binding the top in air-tight position; and itconsists in certain improvements in the construction, arrangement, andoperation of parts, substantially as Will be hereinafter more fully setforth.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved packageas adapted for shipping oysters and the like. Fig. 2is averticalsectional viewrv of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional Viewthereof on the line n; fr, Fig. 2. Fig. A is a horizontal sectional viewon the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a top view ofthe package. Fig. Gis adetail perspective view ofthe end of one of the arms of the spider ortop clamping-plate and of the grooved plate that receives said end. Fig.T is a bottom view of the head. Fig. 8 is a de tail sectional view ofthe joint between the cover and edge4 of the body.

Corresponding parts in all the gures are denoted by the same letters ofreference.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the body of the package, whichis preferably formed, in the usual manner, of staves B, secured by hoopsor bands C,andconve1ging toward the top. The body A has a bottom, D, andan open top or mouth, E.

F is a removable pan or vessel, that comprises abottom, G-, and sides H,that are preferably perpendicular. This pan F conforms approximately tothe interior shape of the v body A, and fits dou-'n in the monththereof,

and the top edge of its sides H is provided with an outward]y-proiectingcircumferential horizontal supporting-flange, Livhich conforms to thetop edge, J, ofthe stares B, and is of about half the width of said edgeJ, as shown. The body A is preferably formed of Wood, While tbeice-vessel F can be formed of sheet metal and have its flange I formedby bending the top edge over. This pan F, as will be observed, closesthe mouth of the body A by extending across the same, and, by reason ofits width, can contain one or more large and solid pieces of ice, whenthe ice will melt less rapidly than if it were broken up intocomparatively small pieces to be placed and contained in its pan orreceptacle.

To carryA off the drip of the ice, the pan F is provided at a suitablepoint in its bottom G, and at the edge thereof, with a dou-"nWardly-projecting tubular extension, K, that forms a conducting-pipe,andpreferably converges toward its lower end. This pipe K is received by acorresponding flaring mouth or recess, L, in the top of a block orstrip, M, through which extends a perforation, N, from the mouth L toits bottom end. The said block )I has preferably an angular exterior,and has its bottom end, O, fitted neatly in a corresponding opening, l?,cut in the bottoni D of the body A. Ly reason of its angular' ,exteriorthe block M cannot turn or become displaced in said opening I); but, tofurther secure it from vertical displacement, its outer edge, Q., ismade to conform to the interior contour of the body A, and the block issecured against the latter by means of nails or screws It. The block Mcomes up ush with the bottom G of pan F, and thereby serves as anauxiliary support therefor, and the pipe K,iitting in the ltop of saidblock M, serves as a means to prevent iateral dispiacement or strain onthe lower portion ofthe pan. The channel KN Will afford a convenientmeans of exit to the dripping from the ice in the IOO pan, and the coldair descending in said channel from physical laws will preclude thepossibility of hotair from the outside ascend-ing into the ice-pan. Thebottom ends of the staves B preferably extend a short distance below thebottom disk, D, so that a space, S, will be formed under said bottomwhen the package is set in Vposition on the 'floor or ground, as intransportation in cars, &c. The bottom orifice of the channel Nopensinto this space, and the cold air .descending from the channel willfill the said space, so thata coldair chamber is provided under thebottom for the further protection or preservation of the contents of thepackage, which ordinarily rest directly on the bottom D.

Vhen the package is designed only for butter, ears or handles T T may beprovided for lifting, as shown in Fig. 3; but when it is designed foroysters and like heavy com1nodities I prefer to provide a bail, U, asshown in Fig. 1.

V designates the top or cap piece of my improved package. It isformed-of two disks, WX, that are secured together by pins or screws Y,with the grain of the wood preferably in opposite directions to securegreater strength. The bottom or inner disk, X, has a less diameter thanthe top disk, NV, and fits down inthe mouth of pan F, while the top diskextends out over the top edge of staves I3. An annular gasket, Z, coversthe under side of this projecting portion of disk XV, said gasket being4secured in position by binding its inner edge, A?, between the disks ofthe.

cover. When the cover is clamped down, as hereinafter specified, thegasket Z binds on the flange I and effects a tight joint.

32 is a spider-plate, that is centrally pivoted by a pin or bolt, C2, ontop the cover V, and comprises four radial arms,D`l,that are preferablywidened at their outer ends to effect a broad clamping-edge, El. Theends E2 are received by grooves F2 in the inner faces of castings orplates G, that are secured to the outside of the body A and projectabove the cover V. These grooves are inclined so that, as thespider-plate B'l is turned to guide its ends E into said grooves, theends ofv the arms will be guided downwardly to securely bind the cover Vdown in position. These grooves F2 do not extend entirely across theface of the casting, but are preferably formed with a stop-shoulder, H2,at their lower end, to limit the movement of the ends E and prevent saidends from passing entirely through the groove. One or more of the endsE2 are provided with a hook, I2, that is adapted to be engaged in anyone of a series of holes or recesses, J 2, in the top edge of ashoulder, K2, projecting from the side of the casting having theshoulder IP. This hook servesv to retain the ends E2 in position in thegrooves F2. The spider-plate B2 is below the plane of the top edge ofthe castings G2, and a transverse block, I?, is preferably riveted orotherwise secured on top the plate B2,to bring the same to the plane ofthe castings G2. Therefore, when one package is placed on top another,the block L2 will form a rest for the top package, so that the latterwill not rest below the castings and be liable to damage or break thesame from off the package. This block L2 also affords a hold to the handin operating the plate B2.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.The package can be readily filled by removing the icepan and cover, andwill afford alarge and unobstructed space for the contents. The pancan/then be replaced and filled with ice, after which the cover is to bermly secured down y in position. This package will retain its contentsin fresh and solid condition by reason of the ice-chamber above andcold-air space below, and the drip of the ice is carried off withoutpermeating or interfering with the contents in any way.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a shipping andpreserving package, of a body, a block secured vertically against theside of the same on its interior, and provided with a longitudinaldrip-channel, and an ice pan or vessel eXtending across the top portionof thebody, and supported on said block, and provided with adrip-opening registering with the channel in/ the supportingsblock,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the body of the package, a block secured insidethe body against the sides thereof, and provided with a longitudinalperforation terminating at its top in a mouth or recess, and an ice-panextending across the top portion of the body, and provided with atubular extension or pipe in its bottom edge that enters said mouth, toconvey the drip and retain the pan from lateral displacement, said panbeing removable, substantially as set forth.

Y 3. The combination, with the body of the package having an ice pan orvessel in its top portion, and provided with an angular openling in itsbottom at its side, of a drip-block having a corresponding bottom endfitted in said opening, and provided with a longitudinal drip-ch annel,said block bein g secured vertically against the side of the body,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the body of the package having the open mouth,sides, and bottom formed with the opening at its side, the drip-blockfitted in said opening and secured vertical ly against the interiorsides of the body, and provided with a longitudinal perforationterminating in a mouth or recess at the top, and the ice pan or vessel.supported in the mouth of the body by an annular lateral flange atitstop edge, and provided with the tubular extension at its side edge,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. As an improvement in shipping and pre- IOO serving packages, a bodyhaving its sides tending down below its bottoni to form an inclosedcold-air space, and provided with a closed interior icc-chamber, andwith a dripconducting channel extending down from the ice-chamber andopening into the said coldair space, "which is iilled by the cold airdescending from said channel, the contents be* ing placed between theice-chamber and the bottoni forming the top of the air-space,substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the body of the package having a series ofplates or castings projecting above the edge of its mouth, and providedwith asiinple inclined groove in their inner faces, of the cover havinga centrallypivoted plate formed with integral radial arnis y having flatouter ends, which enter the inclined grooves and are guided downwardlythereby to clamp the cover, substantially as set forth.

'7. The combination, with castings or plates having a groove in theirinner faces, and provided ivith a shoulder having a series of holes orrecesses, of clamping plates or arms piv oted and adapted to enter saidgrooves, and

provided at their end With a hook adapted to engage said holes,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

S. The combination of the castings or plates having a groove in th eil:inner faces, the cover, a spider-plate 'pivoted thereto, and havingradial arms to enter said grooves, and hooks secured at the end oi' saidarms to engage the castings and retain the arms in position,substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the body of the package, the castings or platesprojecting above the top edge thereof, and formed with inclined groovesin their inner faces, and with a shoulder having holes or recesses, thecover-disk the spider pivoted thereon, and having a se ries of radialarms adapted to enter the grooves, and hooks pivoted on the ends ofthearnis and engaging said holes, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

10. The herein-described casting or plate having au inclined groove inits face and provided With a shoulder at the lowerinost end of saidgroove, having holes or recesses, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

l1. The combinati on oi' the castings or plates projecting above thecover of the package, the spider-plate having radial arms engaging saidcastings, the spider being onalower plane than the castings, and atransverse strip secured across the spider-plate to bring the same up tothe plane ofthe top edge of the castings, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OLIVER l. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

J. REED Lrrrnm., Giro. l. lPB'rrv.

